Beefpho (pronounced to rhyme with "duh") is one of Asia's best-loved comfort foods. It is believed to have originated from northern Vietnam's Nam Dinh province, the addition of beef to the broth and rice noodle dish influenced by the French, and the name possibly coming from thefeu (fire) of pot-au-feu.

The taco is perhaps the perfect street food. It's deceptively simple, often no more than three ingredients, sometimes only two, on the most basic of conveyances, a flat tortilla. But somehow a good taco transcends its humble construction to become something greater.

Pani puri (which goes by many other names, depending on which part of India you're in) is one of the most addictive snacks. They're small, crisp, hollow balls that you punch a hole into, fill with a mixture of potatoes and chickpeas, add some spice water and tamarind water, then eat in one bite. It's the perfect mouthful - savoury, sweet, sour, slightly spicy and delicately crunchy.

If you spot a scarlet Vespa racing around Hong Kong's food markets, you'll have caught a glimpse of the ebullient Milanese chef Andrea Oschetti as he collects ingredients for one of his cuore ('heart' in Italian) private dinners (cuoreprivatechef.com). An evening with friends at home and his wife, Sandy, offers far more than a five-course dinner.

One of the many pans I covet is the small, fish-shaped mould used to make taiyaki (Japanese pancakes). These Japanese (or Korean) metal moulds are made of two parts connected by a hinge. The mould is heated and a loose, pancake-like batter is poured in. A filling is added, more batter is poured on top and the top of the mould is folded down to enclose it.

A quiet street became a hive of activity yesterday as diners flocked from far and wide to savour one last taste of fish balls dubbed Aberdeen's best.

Since news broke that Shan Loon Tse Kee fish ball restaurant is to close next month, large queues have formed at the tiny street-side shop, also noted for delicacies such as fried fish skin and fish cakes.

How did you find your way into the kitchen? 'I'm now 32 years old and was a latecomer as a chef. After I finished school at 20, I was required to serve a year of military training. After that, I decided to become a chef and enrolled in a local cooking school, starting an apprenticeship at the same time. I completed my training when I was 24.

The auction for stalls at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year fair saw the highest bid in 10 years for the largest fast-food stall at the five-day event, but two smaller ones went for less than last year.

A friendly back-and-forth argument about street food hawkers has played out on the South China Morning Post's letters page in recent weeks, following an article about the harassment by control officers of vendors in Tung Chung.